Mrs. Anna Miller

Anna Maus was born March 27, 1882 in Dayton and she and Ernest Miller were married in January 1903 Mrs. Miller was the first bride to homestead here. Anna and Ernest went to Bemidji with horse and wagon to get married. It took all day to go, get married, spend the night and then return the next day. They had their honeymoon dinner at George Gunderson's 'Half-Way' house in Cormant. Anna lived with her husband on North Battle river for six years. During this time they fought the great battle of mosquitoes and pole trails. She usually spent the summers alone while her husband traveled to Stevens County where his father owned a threshing machine on which he worked. Mrs. Miller recalls the time a storm felled a tree which tore the tar paper off the roof of their cabin, forcing her to grab the oilcloth off the table and wrapping it around the mattress, attempting to keep it dry. She then built a fire and sat with her feet in the oven and held an umbrella over her head waiting for the storm to pass. In April 1909 the Millers moved to Kelliher. Most of Kelliher was, at that time, in the north end of town. The south end was considered the 'rough' part of town and there was very little law. It was a terrible wild town with many saloons and gambling. The Crookston Lumber Company alone had over a hundred men hired and there were many lumberjacks. There was no Catholic Church but a priest came from Blackduck and services were held in the Miller home. Later, arrangements were made so the city hall was used until a church was built. Mrs. Miller worked with all the local organizations and remembered how the women went out with spades and axes and started clearing a spot for a cemetery. After they had completed a day's work the men became ambitious and finished "Fairview" cemetery! Mrs. Miller served as Postmaster for 16 years from 1918 to 1934, going to work at 7 A.M. until 10:30 P.M. She received $90.00 per month and provided her own fuel. She was also the first librarian, collecting and arranging the donated books. The Millers had two sons. Earl, who died at the age of one and a half years, and Edward, a Kelliher resident. Anna passed away in 1966 and Ernest in 1938.